China's Strategic Penetration of Latin America: What It Means for U.S. Interests

The emergence in recent years of the People's Republic of China as a significant force in Latin America and the Caribbean has clearly altered the traditional dynamic in a way that affects how the United States relates both to the region as a whole and to its individual countries. A close examination of the growing links that China has forged shows that while it is driven by the need to acquire access to stable supplies of energy and natural resources required to facilitate the country's economic development as well as to open new markets for its manufactured goods, geopolitical considerations are also at play. Among those are the desire to reduce the number of states in the region that still maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan and the promotion of a multipolar world order. It is within that context that conclusions can be drawn about both the economic impact of China's increasing presence on Latin America's development and its political and security implications for the United States. Finally, several elements are suggested for a more engaged U.S. policy going forward vis-a-vis its neighbors in Central and South America and the Caribbean.